


Sweet Tooth

by ghostiewriter101



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: F/M, also some very small sexual innuendos if you like squint, but angst ended up slipping in, enjoy the tables being switched and jj caring for kie, there is some talk about blood if you are squeamish, these two will be the death of me, this was meant to be all happy and fluffy, whoops sorry not sorry, wisdom teeth removal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:41:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27769213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostiewriter101/pseuds/ghostiewriter101
Summary: Tables are turned when it’s JJ’s turn to take care of Kie after she gets her wisdom teeth removed. But it looks like doped up Kie has a lot more confidence than sober Kie ever did...and JJ is definitely not complaining at the outcome.
Relationships: JJ/Kiara (Outer Banks)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 87





	Sweet Tooth

**Author's Note:**

> Just pure jiara cuteness and fluff, with a small teeny weeny smidge of angst and probably a few sexual innuendos here and there but MOSTLY fluff and cute dopey Kie and simp JJ who we all love cause he’s just a goofy wee baby who’s just so in love...also sorry about the slight angst that just happened to slip in :)

Kiara was planning her escape plan.

She was just going to run and never look back and just hope to god that the pain in her gums would just disappear out of her pure stubbornness. But she knew that was very unlikely to happen. If she was able to—and in her mind she was—she would be fighting her way out of here like some badass action movie character and speeding off in her car, never looking back. Maybe she could start a new life somewhere else, under a different name and…

Okay, so maybe she was being a little dramatic. But she just wanted to get out of this dentist office _right now_.

But she couldn’t. Because even before she could _think_ about getting up from her seat, the blond next to her would be pulling her back down. Because JJ knew Kie better than she knew herself, the boy just had a knack for knowing every little thing about her. Usually that would be something that gets her heart racing and paints a dopey smile on her face. But now it was just a pain in her ass.

You see, Kiara isn’t scared of anything. Okay well, there is her fear of clowns (which is completely rational, that school trip to the carnival will always scar her), and there is her teeny fear of the dark—justifiable though, especially after the gold fiasco they went through two summers ago. Kie could barely stand the dark, it just reminded her of the horrible trip to Mrs Crain’s house and the fateful night the _Phantom_ went down. There was also that stupid horror movie her older cousins made her watch after convincing her it was a comedy. It was definitely _not_ a comedy.

But that’s the thing. All of her fears had valid reasons behind them, actual concerns and traumatic experiences linked with them. JJ knew that, so did all of the pogues. And they respected that, but _this_? It was the most Kie thing ever, and JJ couldn’t help but tease her. In his defence, he thought his JJ-ness would calm her down a little. He was wrong. Back to the point though.

Because if she was being completely honest, _this_ was her worst fear.

It started a couple of months ago when she began to feel a numb pain in her gums. It wasn’t anything worrying, a bit irritating maybe, but Kie simply brushed it off, took some pain medication and continued on with her life. But as months passed, the pain never really went away. In fact, it just seemed to be getting worse and it was after her mum forced her to go see the dentist that Kie found out the pain in her gums was actually just her wisdom teeth coming through. The dentist assured her that most of the time, the pain would fade and there would be no need to interfere. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for Kie.

The pain was starting to get unbearable. She could hardly talk or eat or drink without visibly wincing and she was definitely snappier than usual. The pogues expected Kie would take matters into her own hands, book an appointment to get her wisdom teeth removed and it would be the end of that.

They were wrong.

It confused them all at first. They knew Kie was stubborn but even this was too far, she was in horrible pain, she was refusing to do anything about it. She even went as far as trying to pretend it wasn’t there, but they weren’t stupid—okay so maybe John B did believe her for a little while but we don’t talk about that.

That’s when they began speculating.

Pope was adamant that Kie just needed to understand the procedure so he did his research, mesmerised every little fact he could and presented them to Kie. But she only huffed and muttered a small _‘I know’_ before continuing to wipe down some tables at _the Wreck_.

John B claimed that Kie must’ve just forgotten so he did what any good friend would do and reminded her…constantly…every fifteen minutes. This lasted about three hours before Kie threatened to pull out every single one of his teeth and hang them from _the Chateau entrance_.

Sarah had even attempted to be the one to make the phone call for Kie. During the infamous kook year, Kie had opened up to Sarah about her struggles with anxiety, the pressure of being a kook and all that jazz. Sarah assumed that maybe Kie was going through a tough patch and just needed a little extra support. And as much as Kie appreciated it, she quite bluntly stated how she was capable of making a phone call and shut Sarah down. She will admit, she felt very guilty for that one.

But JJ knew what was going on in that head of hers. JJ always knew. He always _fucking_ knew. He knew that this was beyond some fear of the dentists, he knew there was something else to this.

But she wasn’t just anyone, this was Kiara. _His_ Kiara. And he couldn’t really wait a couple of weeks to figure out what it was and just watch her be in pain. It was honestly breaking his heart, every small wince like a stab to his heart. It was driving him up the wall that he couldn’t help.

So, JJ did what JJ did best—he made up a plan. It was a secure plan, one that would assure that Kie wouldn’t feel alone, one that would allow the pogues to help her through whatever was stopping her go through with the procedure. They chose a day where Kie’s parents would be away, one where nothing would get in the way and Kie could be their only focus.

But like most of JJ’s plan’s, everything went to shit.

John B and Sarah just happened to ‘forget’ about their very important three year anniversary from when they first held hands—JJ was about two seconds for slapping JB in the face because who in this bloody world even celebrates _that_? But after the summer of the gold, everyone learnt to not take their life for granted, and that just so happened to be celebrating even the smallest of anniversaries in their relationship for John B and Sarah. Then Pope out of nowhere announced he had a date, one he had to reschedule because of his recent college scholarship interviews. JJ was tempted to tell him to give his date a rain check, but then he saw that excited glint in Pope’s eyes, the little hyperactive hand movements he was making and JJ didn’t have the heart to stop him. Plus this was Pope, who knew the next time he would actually go through with a date without throwing up or potentially self-sabotaging his date? So, being the good friend he was, JJ let Pope go. His last resort was Wheezie, the younger Cameron which he had adapted a bit of a ‘big brother’ role over. Maybe it was because he saw a little bit of himself in her, young and lost and having no clue who she really is. He had become quite protective of that gremlin, and in a sense, she did with him too. But just when JJ needed her, she tells him she has a very important rehearsal for a ballet recital. JJ didn’t even know she did ballet.

So, in the end, only JJ was sitting with Kie in the dentist office, watching her leg shake relentlessly as she watched the clock on the wall, like she was counting down the minutes until her own doom.

Out of instinct, JJ placed his hand on her thigh, pressing down slightly in an attempt to stop her shaking. Kie’s eyes snapped to look at JJ and then his hand on her bare thigh, and suddenly her heart was beating faster for another reason. JJ had always been a touchy person, this wasn’t a new thing. In fact, it had gotten much more consistent and noticeable after John B and Sarah’s disappearance two years ago. Like JJ had started to appreciate the people around him much more, scared they would disappear in the blink of an eye. But it was only a recent development—or at least Kie liked to lie to herself and say it was recent—where any little touch from JJ had her blood rushing to her cheeks and feeling as though she might combust on that very spot.

“You’ll be fine, Kie,” He murmured quietly, aware of the almost dead silent room they were sitting in. Other than the old lady a couple of seats down and a mother with her child on the other side of the room, they were the only ones in the room. It was instinct to just speak lower. “They do stuff like this every day, you can chill out.” He assured her, giving her thigh a small squeeze.

“It’s not that, it’s just—” She let out a small sigh, her eyes finding his hand on her leg again. She couldn’t looking at him right now, or else she would be spilling her heart out to him. Those puppy dog eyes of his were always her weakness. Her fingers began absentmindedly twisting the rings on his hand, not noticing the grin on JJ’s face as she did so. She was just so damn adorable in his eyes. But when his eyes caught a glimpse of the frown on her face, the smile dropped. Instead, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Then what is it?” He asked, watching her carefully, noticing the hesitance that followed his question. Kie never kept anything from him, and he knew that. He could almost see the words on the tip of her tongue, ready to spill to him. He noticed her nose scrunched slightly, though he wasn’t sure if that was from the pain in her gums or just not being able to find the right words to say. “Kie, you can tell me anything, I won’t judge.”

“I’m scared.” She finally breathed out.

JJ frowned a little. “What?”

“I’m scared,” She whispered to him, her hand now clutching his. He didn’t make any move to stop her, even if her nails were slightly digging into his skin. It wasn’t the worst thing he’s felt, he could barely feel it. He was far too focused on Kie who now looked so…different to normal Kie. His Kie who was fearless and stubborn and could face anything with a smile on her face, his Kie who was now staring at him with those big, glossy eyes and her lip trembling slightly. If his heart felt like it was breaking before, he now felt like someone was trying to squeeze it out of his chest.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay, I got you,” He murmured, wasting no time in slinging an arm over her shoulder, bringing her closer to him. She quickly nuzzled her head in the junction between his neck and shoulder.

“I don’t know, J…it’s just…” She took a few moments to catch her breath, he knew she didn’t want to start crying in front of everyone in this waiting room. “The idea of not being able to control what I say or do and just…” She trailed off, but the words rested heavy in her heart.

What if she said something that completely wrecked her friendship with him? She could handle staying in the friend-zone and keep her heartbreak reserved for when she is alone in her room where she can eat her bodyweight in ice cream. But she couldn’t deal with a straight out rejection from JJ, she couldn’t deal with losing him.

It was either keep him as a friend or not keep him at all in her life. And she couldn’t lose him.

“You’ll be fine, Kie, I promise,” He whispered to her, placing a small kiss to her forehead. “If anything, you will probably just start yelling at strangers on the street to save the turtles and all that shit.” He smiled a little when he felt her body shake, glad that he at least managed to make her laugh.

“The turtles need us, do you know who doesn’t need us? Those kooks and their fucking oil companies, shoving their nose into natural habitats and just ruining the lives of hundreds of—”

“See! There she is!”

Kie glanced over at JJ, now sitting back up in her seat, a deadpan expression on her face but he could see she was fighting a smile that was tugging on her lips. JJ had a talent of distracting people, or maybe that was just his own mindset of ignoring a problem until it no longer comes to bite him in the ass.

He grinned, watching her expression soften slightly and her lips mimic his. “Thank you for being here.” She whispered.

“Always.”

“Kiara Carrera.”

Both heads snapped over to see one of the nurses standing by the doors that lead off into the different practice rooms. She was a small, petite redhead who seemed to brighten her uniform through the use of very questionable coloured glasses and hairpins.

Kie looked over at JJ who squeezed her hand, neither of them sure when their fingers intertwined but neither of them mad at it either. “You’re gonna be okay, I’ll be here the second you wake up. I’m not going anywhere.”

She gave him an appreciative smile but he still noticed the hesitance, the fear rolling of her as she slowly stood up from her seat. Before she could even take a step towards the nurse, his hand was wrapping around her wrist and tugging her back slightly. She looked down at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Her confusion doesn’t last long as he slips off one of the rings from his finger—not just any ring though, the small gold one that he wore on his pinky for as long as Kie could remember, his mother’s ring. He quickly slipped it on the only finger of hers that it would fit on, which also just so happened to be her ring finger. Before he could convince himself against it, he pressed a small kiss on the ring after he slipped it on and grinned up at Kie, trying to fight the blush that was warming his cheeks.

No words needed to be shared between them, both of them very aware of what the action meant. And as they stared at each other, hearts pounding and cheeks flushed, both of them thought how easy it would be to say those three words. Those three words which haunted them for years, those three words that were only ever for each other. Those three words that would let them cross that line from friends to something more. But both were also scared of the consequences, the rejection, of changing what they are so familiar and comfortable with.

Neither of them of said anything.

Instead JJ watched as Kie followed the nurse beyond those double doors, out of his sight and a part of him deflated slightly. Maybe a part of him was nervous for her, or maybe he just didn’t like the image of Kie looking so scared and anxious burned into his head. His gaze moved from the double doors to his now naked pinky, a light smile on his face as he recalled the blush on her cheeks. It was those small signs of hope he clung onto like a life-source, these small moments where he can imagine that maybe Kie feels something more, that maybe Kie loves him back.

“You two make an adorable couple.”

JJ’s head snapped towards the old lady that had now moved to sit on the other side of him, a polite but knowing smile on her lips. JJ was honestly a little uncomfortable, and slightly impressed by how quickly and silently the old lady had moved. Damn, this woman was like a ninja. A very nosey ninja.

“Oh…um…we aren’t a couple,” He told her with a sheepish expression, his hand nervously scratching the back of his neck. “She is just my best friend.”

And god, did those words feel bitter in his mouth, almost like they were leaving a horrid, acidic aftertaste that he would never be able to wash away. But that was because it was the harsh truth, Kie was just his best friend, and that is all she will ever see him as. JJ wasn’t stupid. He knew the reputation he had, the things people said and the expectations that came with his surname. He also knew that neither Kie nor the pogues cared about any of that. They accepted him for him, the real JJ. But there was this little voice in the back of his head, the one that was constantly feeding into the demons in his mind. That voice that told him he wasn’t good enough for Kie or the pogues, that he would ruin her life if they ever became anything more. That voice that called his feelings for her selfish, that made him feel unsatisfied whenever he woke up after a kegger and saw the girl next to him wasn’t Kie. It was that voice that stopped him saying those three words, that voice that told him Kie didn’t need his problems and issues and broken life more of a burden on her than she already had. The night in the hot tub haunted his nightmares, the look on her face when she saw those bruises. It wasn’t pity though, it was something else…like guilt. Guilt that she never said anything before, guilt that she couldn’t stop it. He never wanted to see that expression on her face ever again. JJ caused enough shit in the lives of everyone he knew, he didn’t need to do that to Kie. She deserved better, she deserved the world and JJ only wish he could give it to her.

“Mhm, and I’m the next president of the United States,” The old woman deadpanned before she reached out and grabbed JJ’s hand, causing the blond to tense instantly. But the woman didn’t let go.

“Don’t give up,” She whispered, a gentle smile on her lips. “You’d be stupid if you let her go. Especially with the way that girl stares at you, like you are her world.”

But before JJ could even question or assure the lady that he and Kie were nothing but friends, she was up and gone, a new nurse calling her in for her appointment.

And now JJ was left alone in the waiting room, alone with his thoughts about his best friend that always seemed to plague his mind.

Kiara _fucking_ Carrera.

“I must warn you, she is still a bit loopy from the procedure. The laughing gas will wear off in the next hour so, but the codeine will take maybe a couple of hours. But it will at least mean she isn’t in pain for the rest of the day.”

JJ nodded, listening to the nurse as she went over the next few days. How he had to rinse her mouth with antiseptic mouthwash, especially after she has just ate. Making sure she has extra pillows when she sleeps to prop her head up, making sure that she is only eating soft foods. Also to make sure she has access to pain killers—which JJ had to thank Pope for, he had made sure to stock up _the Chateau_ with everything he would need to take care of Kie this weekend. Despite her parents being out of town, the pogues thought it would be best to let Kie recover at _the Chateau_ where everyone could keep an eye on her. Or at least for this weekend, where JJ could keep an eye on her.

His hands were clenched at his side as he followed the nurse into one of the rooms, a weight being lifted off his chest the second he saw Kie sitting on the chair, her cheeks all puffy and swollen, and an easy expression on her face. He tried not to snicker at her appearance, it almost looked as though she was high. Which she was, in a sense.

“Kiara? Your friend JJ is here to take you home.” The nurse gently placed a hand on her shoulder before pointing at JJ, who made his way over to the chair, wiggling his eyebrows at Kie.

“How ya feeling there?” He watched as she looked up at him and tried to grin despite the gauze in her mouth.

“Oh, heeeeeeey!” She giggled, reaching out for JJ who quickly understood and grabbed one of her outreaching hands.

“You good?” JJ asked, trying to fight off a smile. She was doped up and he was sure as hell enjoying this side of Kie.

“Dude, you gotta try some of this stuff! It’s so much better than your cousin’s shit!” She whispered loudly, causing JJ to chuckle along with her.

“Maybe next time.”

Kie turned to the nurse, gesturing for her to come over. When she was close enough, Kie leaned in. “The pretty blond boy is my best friend. But don’t tell him I said he was pretty or else his head will just..” She trailed off as she re-enacted someone’s head exploding.

The nurse smiled at JJ before nodding. “He is very pretty, you’re right.”

Kie frowned, looking at the nurse with what she assumed was an intimidating glare—JJ thought she looked like pouty puppy. “Hey! Keep your eyes to yourself, lady! He is _my_ pretty blonde boy!” She pulled JJ’s hand closer to her chest.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to—”

“Blah, blah, blah! Stop looking at my man with those beady eyes. He’s too young for you, grandma.”

JJ pressed his lips together, trying to hold back his own laughter as he glanced over at the nurse with an apologetic look. But he wasn’t really sorry, and neither was Kie, evidently, as she grinned victoriously towards the nurse, a protective grip on his hand. He was starting to think that he was going to really like doped up Kie.

“Okay, c’mon, let’s get you home now.” JJ called out to her, attempting to pull her up with the hand she was holding but she quickly let go.

“I’m eighteen, I can do it myself! I’m a big girl, JJ!” She huffed, causing JJ to raise his hands in defeat as he took a few steps back.

“Go on then.” He gestured for her to continue.

She was standing for around three seconds before JJ had to swoop in and prevent her from falling. “God, even doped up you’re just as stubborn.” He muttered light-heartedly. After a few more post-procedure care talks from the dentist and the nurses, JJ wrapped his arm around Kie’s waist, with one of her arms around his shoulders, and began to head towards the car.

But here’s the thing. Despite Outer Banks history of having good weather most of the year, it was late November. There was a slight chill in the air, and even if JJ was still walking around in his board shorts, he knew Kie would be a lot more sensible. Or at least, sober Kie was. Doped up Kie on the other hand…

“It’s too warm!” Kie whined as she tried to wiggle out of JJ’s hold, pulling at her jacket as though she had the strength to just rip it off her body.

“Kie, you’ll catch a cold. Keep your jacket on at least until we get to the car.” JJ sighed, his arm around her waist tightening the more she attempted to escape.

“Nooooo! I’m too warm now!” She groaned, letting out a huff as she stopped walking. JJ tried to tug her along but she wouldn’t move.

“Kie, the car is literally five steps away, c’mon now.”

“Nope, I’m taking it off now.”

“Kie, stop stripping in the middle of a carpark.”

“I can strip where I want to strip.”

“Not if you want public indecency on your record.”

“Stop being a buzzkill! Strip down with me…ooh we can go skinny-dipping!”

JJ paused, looking at Kie with a very mixed expression. Any other day of the week, he would be all up for skinny-dipping with her and stripping down in a carpark. But this wasn’t any other day. And a small part of him knew that he couldn’t even be mad at Kie since not only is she doped up, but he is starting to guess this is how she feels whenever he or one of the other boys come up with a stupid idea. Although, any other day, skinny-dipping would _definitely_ not be a stupid idea, especially with Kie. That will undoubtedly something he will bring up to sober Kie.

“Okay, we really don’t have time for this so…” Without any hesitation, he quickly wrapped his arms around her and hoisted her over his shoulder before continuing to make his way to the car. And as much as he tried not to, he couldn’t help but grin a little at Kie’s giggles.

“Hey, you’ve got a pretty nice ass.”

“Right back at you.”

With quite some effort, JJ had managed to open the passenger seat door and sit Kie inside—only after she demanded that he help her take her jacket off—before he ran over to the driver’s seat and slipped inside. He patted his pockets with a frown before he turned to look at Kie, who was giggling as she watched him.

“Kie…”

“Yes?”

“Where are the car keys?” He asked, giving her a pointed look.

“Why would I know? You’re the driver, Captain Obvious!” She said with an innocent shrug, but the giggles that followed told JJ that she definitely had something to do with it.

“Kie, give me the keys.”

“I don’t have them!”

“Kiara…”

“Pinky promise!” She said as she reached over, hooking her pinky with his own. He sighed, shaking his head but reached into the back seat for her jacket, checking the pockets for the car keys. However, they weren’t there either.

He glanced over at her, using an embarrassing amount of self-control to not grin back at her before he let out a small sigh. It didn’t make sense, he had the keys moments ago, he opened the car with them as they were walking towards it. Where the hell could they have gone?

And then it hit him.

He turned to Kie, shaking his head. “You little minx.” He muttered before he opened the door and began walking back towards the dentist. Just as he assumed, he found the car keys a couple of feet away from the car, just where Kie had tried to start stripping. He grabbed the keys and jogged back to the car, quickly turning the car on and pulling out.

“I have a feeling this weekend isn’t going to be as easy as I assumed.” JJ sighed playfully, glancing over at Kie who seemed far more interested in the fact she couldn’t feel her lips.

“They’re gone!” She cried out.

“They are just numb, don’t worry. They are still there!” JJ assured her.

“My lips are gone!” She sobbed. JJ chuckled quietly as they pulled up to a red light. He reached over and pulled the visor down so she could see herself in the mirror.

“See, your lips are still there.”

“My cheeks!” Kie gasped. “I look like a chipmunk!”

JJ snorted. “Yeah, you do.”

However, Kie never answered him. JJ frowned at the sudden silence and glanced over to see what had happened, a small fear that maybe something had gone wrong and her tongue had felt out or something (JJ’s imagination can run a little wild at times). But when he turned to look at her, he left out a small shriek, the car briefly jerking to the side and hitting a bin before he managed to get back on the road.

“Kie! What the hell?!” He exclaimed, looking at Kie whose face was extremely close to his due to the fact she was leaning over the consol.

“You mean it?” She pouted, her eyes now glossy.

“What?”

“You mean it? That I look like a chipmunk?”

“Well, yeah, you said so—” However, he was cut off when he started to hear sniffles. “Kie, no, no, no! I didn’t mean it like that—”

“I LOOK LIKE A CHIPMUNK!” She sobbed whilst JJ looked between her and the road with wide eyes. He didn’t realise doped up Kie would be so…sensitive.

“Fuck,” He muttered to himself as he quickly pulled onto the side of the road before turning to look at Kie, who was sniffling and poking her swollen cheeks. “Hey, look at me.”

Kie shook her head, pivoting around in her seat so she was facing the window instead of him. “No, you don’t wanna see my chipmunk face.”

“Kie, no, I would love to look at your chipmunk face.” He tried to assure her but when he saw her shoulders shaking a little, he took that as a sign he said the wrong thing. God, usually the worst he would have to deal with was emotional drunk Pope, and even then it was just giving the man a hug. He wasn’t qualified for… _this_.

He sighed, contemplating calling one of the other pogues for some assistance. But then again, he didn’t feel like disturbing their peace. He sighed as he tried to catch Kie’s gaze but she stubbornly kept her back to him.

“Kie, c’mon, I didn’t mean it like that,” He whispered, gently pushing her back into her seat so he could at least see her face. But she still kept her gaze on her lap. “You look like an adorable chipmunk, I swear. Alvin and his buddies got nothing on you.” He added with a small grin, which widened slightly when he saw the smile tugging her lips.

“Really?” She asked, looking at him with a hopeful gaze.

“Yeah, you’re waaaaay cuter than them.” He assured her before quickly linking their pinkies together. “Pinky promise.”

She grinned at the action and happily sat back in her seat, JJ letting out a small sigh of relief. He was honestly worried she would try and open the door to make a run for it if he hadn’t said the right thing. So, he quickly assured himself the doors were locked before he started the car again, heading through the streets of Figure 8 back into the Cut.

The rest of the drive went down quite smoothly, much to JJ’s relief. Kie was mostly just rambling on about random things and he just sat there, listening happily and giving short, wee answers whenever it was required. This was going to be easy, he kept reminding himself. It’s just Kie being a little high, he could deal with that with no problem.

Boy, was he in for a treat.

“JJ!” Kie whined from her seat on the couch, her arms flailing around. “JJ!”

The blond quickly came rushing into the room from the kitchen, looking at her with wide eyes. “What is it? What’s wrong?” He asked, panting slightly from just how quickly he bolted from the other room.

She looked up at him with big eyes and pouty lips. “I’m cold.”

JJ let out a breath, closing his eyes. He ran a hand over his face, he genuinely thought something had gone horribly wrong. The poor boy was seconds away from a heart attack with how she was whining.

“I’ll go get your jacket the, it was around here—”

“Nooooo! I don’t want my jacket!” She huffed out in annoyance, her body spread out on the couch.

JJ frowned a little. “You want a blanket then?”

“Ugh, no!” She wailed.

“Then what do you want?” JJ asked. He was starting to think maybe this situation would work better if he was also high.

Kie let out a loud sigh before mumbling something.

“Kie, you gotta speak up.”

“Ijustwantyoursweater.”

“Huh?”

“I want your sweater!” She said with an exasperated sigh, far too grumpy to even notice the grin on JJ’s face.

“John B’s is right beside you though—”

“No, I want your sweater. The grey one with the…the logo thing and it’s soft and comfy and warm and I just—” JJ chuckled as Kie continued to ramble on about his sweater, making his way into his room and quickly searching for the desired piece of clothing—which luckily didn’t take him long to find. He then walked back to the couch, seeing Kie’s face brighten up when she saw the sweater in his hand.

“C’mon,” He murmured as he helped her get the sweater over her head, careful not to touch her swollen cheeks and cause anymore discomfort. He helped her get her arms through before looking down at her expectedly. “Happy now?”

“Yeah.” She whispered with a grin as happily curled back into the couch, the arms of the sweater just covering her hands. He shook his head, letting himself enjoy her obliviousness and admire how damn good she looked in his clothes. It gave him an ego boost, that she was wearing his clothes, that she chose his sweater and not John B’s or Pope’s. It could’ve meant absolutely nothing to her but it meant _everything_ to him.

He kneeled down beside the couch, gently pushing some of her hair out the way. “You want something to eat?” He asked her softly, watching her nod slightly. “Hmm, I’ll be right back.” He moved to stand up but felt Kie grab onto his shirt, fisting the material tightly. He raised his eyebrows slightly.

“Stay.” She whispered, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

“Just gotta grab you something to eat,” He murmured to her, placing both his hands over hers. “Then I’ll be right back and we can watch a movie or something. How does that sound?”

“Can we watch _Twilight_?”

JJ chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, we can watch _Twilight_.”

“Okay.” Kie grinned, eventually letting go of his shirt and allowing him to head to the kitchen.

He kept in mind all the advice that the dentist and Pope had given him about the foods that he can give her. He decided to keep it safe with some mango yoghurt. It was her favourite and it was soft to eat and hopefully the coolness will soothe her gums slightly. However, whilst pouring some yoghurt into a bowl, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and quickly answered, not even looking at the name of the caller.

“JJ Maybank speaking, your gift from god himself, how can I help you?”

_“I really hope that isn’t how you usually answer your phone.”_

JJ grinned when he heard the familiar voice come through. “Baby Cameron, how can I help you this fine evening?”

_“Oh, I just wanted to see if the stress had made you start crying yet. Unfortunately not, guess I’ll have to call later.”_

JJ rolled his eyes. “You have so much faith in me,” He deadpanned playfully, but to be honest, he was about two minutes away from crying along with Kie in that car. “But I’ve got everything under control. This shit is easy.”

_“Oh, really? So, you don’t need any help? At all? Everything is running smoothly?”_

“Of course it is.” He huffed out defensively.

_“I bet she has you wrapped around her finger. JJ Maybank, local simp. Has a ring to it, don’t ya think?”_

“I am not a simp, you gremlin,” He said with utter most confidence. He quickly glanced over at Kie who was lying on the couch, fiddling with the gold ring that was still on her finger. “I’m just a caring friend, is that so hard to believe?”

_“Yes.”_

“Ouch, harsh.”

_“You’re whipped, Maybank. Accept your fate and return to your place, waiting at Kie’s hand and foot.”_

“Aren’t you quite cheeky today,” He muttered as he grabbed a spoon for her yoghurt, making sure it was definitely a clean spoon. “Isn’t it your bedtime?”

_“It’s literally five o’clock.”_

“Night, Baby Cameron. Sweet dreams.” He called out before hanging up the phone, chuckling slightly as he heard her scream ‘simp’ before the call ended. He slipped his phone back into his pocket before heading over to the couch. He helped Kie remove the bloody gauze—which was absolutely disgusting, by the way—before handing her the bowl. He grabbed the laptop from John B’s room before setting the movie up, him sitting at the end of the couch with Kie’s feet on his lap, his fingers dancing along her skin. Force of habit, not that either of them prevented it.

Things were running smoothly. Kie had eaten the yoghurt and JJ helped her put a new set of gauze back in, they were watching _Twilight_ , which JJ had already watched a million times before. It was Kie’s guily pleasure movie, and he couldn’t resist the puppy dog eyes she used on him whenever she asked him to watch it with her. Plus, he wouldn’t lie, he quite liked the movie in a trashy way. But he would never admit that to anyone, _ever_. But just between me and you, he was definitely Team Jacob.

They must’ve been around fifty minutes into the movie when he began to hear sniffles coming from Kie again. He glanced over at her, noticing her wide, teary eyes staring right back at him. He quickly sat up in his seat, forgetting the movie altogether, as he reached for Kie’s hand.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” His eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern, ready to grab some paracetamol from the kitchen in case she was in pain, or an ice pack from the freezer, or even another one of his jumpers.

Kie glanced up at him, her breathing somewhat staggered like she was trying to hold her tears back. The pain he felt in his chest from that small action hit harder than any punch he ever received. “Why…why can’t I have a super, hot vampire in love with me?” She sobbed out, squeezing his hand.

JJ stared at her for a few seconds, needing a few moment to even process what she had just said. “Fuck, Kie, you gotta stop scaring me like that. I thought something was seriously wrong.” He muttered, running a hand through his hair in attempt to distract himself from his wildly beating heart.

“This is serious!” She whined, smacking his arm from her position on the couch. JJ let out a small ‘ouch’ despite the grin on his face, yet that only seemed to upset Kie more. “Seriously, how hard is it for a hot, supernatural hunk to come sweep me off my feet!”

JJ giggled at her wee rant, watching her wave her hands about as she rambled on. “Oh, c’mon, but wouldn’t you want a werewolf? They are _so_ much better than vampires.” He may as well amuse the conversation.

Kie narrowed his eyes at him. “No, vampires are better!” He tried not to snicker at how much puffier her cheeks looked when she pouted.

“Absolutely not!” He scoffed, shaking his head. “They are cold, lifeless bloodsuckers that just act all brooding and think having a constipation face permanently etched on your face is a personality trait.”

Kie scrunched her nose, and it took everything within him to actually pay attention to what she was saying instead of focusing on how adorable she looked. “And werewolves are much better? Edward Cullen and Damon Salvatore take offence to that.”

“Of course!” He exclaimed with a clap of his hands. “C’mon, think about it! They are as loyal as you can get, always sticking to their pack and having each other’s backs. Plus, they value each other, they have a family within each other. Vampires just fuck off on their own when they have a disagreement with each other. I mean, c’mon, Edward just pisses off in _New Moon._ At least Jacob lets Seth and Leah in and creates his own pack. Pack for life, dude!”

Kie looked at him, an expression of both awe and shock on her face. “You’re such Twihard.” She snickered. “It’s cute.”

JJ rolled his eyes, happy that the lighting was shit enough that Kie probably wouldn’t be able to notice the blush on his cheeks. Or, at least, doped up Kie wouldn’t notice. “Plus, they are massive wolves! Think about badass that is,” He added with a small shrug. “And they are always warm, that’s the perfect cuddle buddy. You wanna cuddle with a human-sized popsicle?” He teased, poking her foot that was still resting on his lap.

“It would be better than your sweaty ass during the summer.” Kie sassed back, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Wow, alright then, you’ve just lost all cuddling privileges.” He teased, sighing dramatically. “Guess Pope is gonna take your spot now.” He added with a shrug.

Kie looked at him, her lips parted in offence. “You can’t replace me…especially with Pope!” She whined, lightly nudging his side with her foot. But JJ just ignored her, focusing on the movie and trying not to laugh. “JJ!” She whined, continuously poking him but he laid back in his seat, eyes focused on the laptop instead.

He felt her feet leave his lap and heard her shuffle around, slightly confused as to what she was up to. But his questions were answered when he felt Kie place her head on his lap, looking up at him with a small grin. He finally looked down at her, eyebrows raised slightly. “Can we please cuddle now?” She whispered, and goddammit when she looked up at him with _that_ look and that excited wee smile…he would be heartless to say no. JJ sighed and opened up his arms, smiling as Kie quickly wiggled into his arms, content and comfortable with her head laying on his chest and his arms wrapped around her waist, keeping her close to him.

“Works every time.” She murmured with a grin, giggling slightly as she nuzzled her head into JJ’s neck. He rolled his eyes, humming in response but didn’t disagree with her.

The two fell silent after that, focused on the movie once again. JJ’s hands had slipped under the sweater, his fingers tracing small circles on her skin, a small smirk on his face whenever he felt her shiver slightly. He liked to know that he had some effect on her. Over time he heard her breathing slow down slightly, and a part of him just assumed she had fallen asleep. He didn’t have the heart to move just yet, so he stayed put on the couch. There was also a small part of him that was enjoying this moment. He could just pretend. He could pretend they were something more, pretend that Kie loved him back. He could pretend that he deserved her and that he was good enough to have her in his life. He could pretend because there is no way in hell that any of these desires he had for his best friend would ever come true.

He almost jumped out of his skin when she spoke, like he had been caught in his thoughts and she could hear every single one of them. His fingertips froze against her skin, halting their movements.

“Can I tell you a secret?” She whispered, despite the fact there was no one but the two of them in the house. It was silent except for the background noise the movie was providing.

“Yeah, of course.” He answered instantly.

“Promise you won’t tell anyone?” She spoke again, and JJ had to resist shivering at the feeling of her warm breath against his neck.

“Cross my heart, won’t tell a soul.” He reassured her, his curiosity growing on what she was leading up to. But they were best friends, they practically told each other everything. If he was being honest, JJ was just expecting her doped up self to tell him that she secretly liked tacos more than burritos, or something else completely insignificant. 

“I don’t really want a hot vampire to sweep me off my feet.”

“Oh, really?”

“Or some werewolf that will cuddle me whenever I want.”

JJ smiled lazily, one hand leaving its place from under the sweater to gently fiddle with the ends of her curls, twisting it around his finger as he spoke. “And what do you want, Kie?” His voice was low, husky, inviting. Kie didn’t think twice before she opened her mouth.

“I just want the boy I love to love me back.” She whispered and that was all it took for JJ to completely freeze, his body tense and heavy now.

“W-What?” He croaked out, his heart shattering with each breath he took. He felt like he was choking on his own words.

“Sometimes he does things that make me think he feels the same…but then he also does stuff that makes me think he will never love me like _that_.” She spoke with such a soft voice that JJ could almost not hear her over the sound of his blood pumping in his ears. He wanted to go back to pretending, to the silence and his thoughts, anything but hearing that Kie was in love with someone else. He would rather live in denial than feel as completely heartbroken as he did now.

“He must be pretty stupid then.” He whispered out, struggling to get the words out. He was struggling to hold back his tears, to hold back the urge of pushing her off him and finding that boy she loved and slapping him silly for not realising what he could have, for wishing that he was that boy and he could have Kie all to himself.

He should have stopped there, tried to encourage Kie to rest or even changed the topic himself. But JJ just loved to torture himself, to rub salt into his own wound and make that rejection even harder for him to deal with. But he had to know. He had to know who had stolen her heart. “What…what is this boy like?” He asked, spitting out the words. “The boy you…you love.” The words felt bitter in his mouth.

Kie did say anything for a while, and JJ wasn’t sure if he was thankful for that or not. Or maybe she was too busy daydreaming about this boy that she didn’t even hear his question, he thought bitterly. The more reasonable side of him said that she had just fallen asleep considering she was doped up and deserved some rest after her long day. But her voice interrupted his thoughts.

“He is just…he has his flaws and he thinks the worst of himself and it kills me because,” She took in a deep breath. “To me, he is perfect.” If JJ was heartbroken before, he felt absolutely crushed now. “He doesn’t see it but he is perfect. He is always there for you, loyal as anything. And he is reckless, sure, and impulsive but he is also the one putting a smile on everyone’s face, making everyone laugh.” She paused for a few moments. “He doesn’t realise how strong he is either…he’s been through so much and he can still get up in the morning and that is just…I just wish he could see himself how I see him.”

He couldn’t speak now, it hurt too much to even breathe. Because this was the harsh, bitter truth that JJ had tried to avoid, the one that haunted his nightmares that had him waking up, eyes glossy and whispering her name. It was the conformation of his father’s words he never needed. Years of hearing how he was useless and unlovable. Years of hope that he had for him and Kie washed away just by one doped up confession.

Suddenly, JJ hated the lack of control Kie had over her words just as much as she did. He hated the fact that all his friends were somewhere else and he was here, hearing the love of his life confess her love for someone that isn’t him.

“But he is my best friend…and I don’t want to ruin what is between us,” She whispered to the blond. “I couldn’t bear to lose him, I need him…I need JJ, even if it means accepting that he will never love me back…”

JJ’s heart stopped.

“What did you just say?”

“Even if it means accepting—”

“No, no! Before that!”

“I don’t know.” She whined, nuzzling herself further into JJ’s neck. She sniffled slightly, her hands fisting the material of his shirt once again. “I’m tired…” She trailed off, being cut off by her own yawn. But JJ was wide awake now, alert and adrenaline pumped. He needed to hear her say it again, he needed to make sure.

“Promise me you won’t tell him.” She murmured against his skin, and instinctively JJ’s hand went to grip her waist. His cheeks were flaming red, flustered by her words from earlier and her confession, but also out of embarrassment through his own jealousy on…well, himself.

“Yeah, I promise.” He whispered half-heartedly, not really focused on her words anymore.

“Promise me you won’t tell Jesse.” And with that, JJ could feel his cheeks beginning to hurt from just how much he was smiling. JJ couldn’t believe it. She liked him. Scratch that, she loved him. And of course there was the possibility that she was doped up and not serious, but JJ didn’t even want to think about that just now.

“Jesse won’t find out.” He assured her as she fell asleep on top of him. He wondered if she could hear how wildly his heart was beating, how flustered and giddy he was after hearing her use his real name.

JJ slept peacefully that night, with a grin on his face and the love of his life wrapped in his arms.

When she felt the sun shining on her face, Kie groaned and nuzzled herself further into her pillow. Her cheeks throbbed slightly, a numb but bearable pain, one that she could hopefully sleep through. She let out a small sigh, feeling herself slowly drift back to sleep when suddenly she felt something tightening around her waist. Her eyes snapped open, suddenly aware of her surroundings. She was in _the Chateau_ , she had her wisdom teeth removed yesterday and that is why her mouth hurt. The events slowly began to catch up with her, fuzzy memories of JJ carrying her to the car and watching a movie and…

Her mouth went dry, eyes wide as she quickly looked down, noticing that she wasn’t sleeping on a bed with her pillow. Oh no, her pillow was JJ’s chest. JJ, who was laying beneath her, sleeping peacefully with his arms tightly wrapped around her, a wee smile on his lips. It made her own lips tug upwards slightly.

But then, the memories of last night hit her like a truck. She confessed to JJ. In her doped up mindset, she had poured her heart out and she… _oh shit._

She peeled JJ’s arms off her waist, trying to ignore the frown that formed on his face as she got up. She panicked slightly, grabbing a pillow and quickly placing it in JJ’s arms, watching him hug it tightly. “Mmm, Kie.” He murmured softly before falling back asleep.

She glanced around, finding her jacket discarded on the floor. She dipped her hand into her pocket, finding her phone and quickly rushed to the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her. She paused for a moment before turning the shower on, just in case JJ woke up.

“Shit, shit, shit,” She muttered to herself, scrolling through her contacts before she found the name she was looking for. She pressed the phone to her ear, hand on her forehead as she tried calm herself down. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t working. “C’mon, pick up!”

_“Kie? Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t text yesterday but I just assumed you wanted to rest or—”_

“Sarah,” She quickly interrupted, pacing the small bathroom in a failed attempt to try and control the fact her whole body was hyperventilating. “I have a problem.”

_“A problem? I mean, I’d love to help, babe, but I’m kinda at my place. JJ is with you though, surely you can ask him—”_

“No, you don’t understand.” She huffed out, leaning back against the counter as she stared helplessly at the shower. “JJ _is_ the problem.”

_“JJ’s the problem? Honey, you’re gonna have to be a bit more specific…”_

Kie let out a small groan, rubbing a hand over her face, wincing slightly when she placed a little too much pressure on a certain spot. “Well, you see…um…I kinda…”

_“SHE TOLD YOU WHAT?”_

JJ let out a small groan, wincing at the sound of John B’s voice basically bursting his eardrum through the phone. He hadn’t woken up too long after Kie did, taking a few minutes to process everything until his memories caught up with him. He was expecting to feel overwhelmed with joy, but he felt anything but that when he woke up a pillow in his arms, and not Kie. He almost thought it was all a dream.

“She was all doped up, dude, but…she seemed serious!” He huffed out, leaning back on the couch as he stared at the ceiling, nervously nibbling on his lower lip. “What if she regrets saying something? I mean, she wasn’t really in control. Or what if she didn’t mean it? Or what if she forgot and was creeped out when she woke up and saw—”

_“Dude, you guys cuddle all the time. It’s no big deal.”_

“It is a big deal when she literally confessed her love for me!” He hissed, his eyes glancing over at the bathroom door, as if expecting to see Kie standing there. But it was still shut, he could still hear the shower running as well. He still had some time.

_“I’m not seeing an issue here. She says she loves you, you love her. Isn’t this the part where you go like…fuck until your hearts’ content and live happily ever after?”_

“Did you miss the part where she specifically said she didn’t want me to know?” He muttered in annoyance. The last thing he needed was images of him frolicking around the bedroom with Kie when he was trying to have a serious conversation here. Goddammit John B.

_“Yeah but crushes are always embarrassing. Of course she doesn’t want you to know, she is scared of rejection.”_

“You don’t get it…” He sighed, letting out a deep breath.

“I have literally been hiding in this bathroom for the past twenty minutes!” She hissed through the phone, now multitasking through her conversation with Sarah by taking a towel and holding it under cold water, before pressing it against her cheeks and jaw for some relief. She wasn’t going to walk out there and grab an icepack. Especially with the possibility that she could wake him up or he could already be awake, ready to break her heart into a million pieces by saying that he could never feel the same.

_“I think you are being a little over-dramatic here. I mean, this is JJ we are talking about. JJ who follows you like a lost puppy, who looks at you like you are his whole world, who would probably follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked him to. There is no way he doesn’t feel the same.”_

“JJ doesn’t do…feelings though,” She sighed, now sitting on the counter with her legs swinging slightly. “I mean…I don’t blame him, it’s not like he has every actually seen a healthy relationship beyond yours and JB’s, and he made it very clear he isn’t a girlfriend type of person.”

_“Are you still doped up? JJ came up with that rule when he was like, thirteen years old and hormone-crazed. He is eighteen now, things have changed. I think it’s you that is scared of getting into a relationship, and now you’re making up any excuse you can.”_

Kie sighed, she hated how well Sarah could always read her. Even on the phone, this girl just seemed to have a knack for knowing exactly how she felt, almost as well as JJ. “Of course I am, I mean—”

“What if this changes everything? What if we try this out and find out we are completely incompatible and it wrecks our friendship and then, BOOM!” JJ said exasperatedly, throwing the hand that wasn’t holding his phone up into the air. “I would lose my best friend…”

_“And you aren’t sure if it’s worth the risk?”_

“Yeah,” He sighed, his eyebrows drawn together in thought. “I’m not sure if I’m ready to take that leap of faith.”

_“Look, man, you have loved Kie since we were in like…the fifth grade. You’ve been friends for years, I am pretty sure you’d know by now if you were incompatible by now.”_

“Relationships are different though!”

_“How would you know, you’ve never been in one.”_

“Exactly!” He exclaimed, wincing at how loud her was. But when he heard the shower still running, he took it as a good sign to continue. “What if I fuck this up, dude? This isn’t some random chick, this is _Kie_. I wanna…I wanna be good for her, ya know?”

_“You know Kie doesn’t care about all that reputation bullshit, right?”_

“But her parents do, I don’t wanna ruin her relationship with them. And people talk, I can deal with them talking shit about me and my old man but…Kie doesn’t deserve that shit, dude.”

_“I don’t think that is your decision to make.”_

JJ frowned a little, pressing his lips together. John B was right, he knew that. Kie was able to protect herself, she didn’t need anyone looking out for her or making decisions for her but still…

“I care about him, Sarah,” She murmured over the phone, her fingers nimbly fiddling with the hem of his sweater which she was still wearing. If she had her way, she wouldn’t give him it back. In fact, she had been considering sneaking it into her own stuff for a couple of weeks. She tended to get colder during the winter nights, and JJ’s scent always did comfort her. Two birds, one stone. “I don’t wanna put him under the pressure of a relationship, or spook him too much with how forward I was. I told him I _loved_ him.”

_“I’m glad doped up Kie had the balls to finally do it.”_

“Not helping,” She sighed, rolling her eyes at the giggles coming from Sarah on the other side of the phone. “I’m serious, Sarah. I care about him, a lot. The last thing I’d want to do is put him in a situation where he is uncomfortable.”

_“You know, going out there and talking to him would probably be a good place to start.”_

“Sarah!”

_“I’m serious, babe. You are gonna get nowhere by just thinking about the possibilities. This effects his life as much as it does yours, and hiding in the bathroom talking to me will do no good. It’s him you gotta talk to.”_

“Ugh, I hate it when you’re right…” Kie trailed off, glancing down at the floor. Her eyes caught glimpse of the gold ring on her finger, and subconsciously a smile began to pull on her lips.

“I’m always right, this isn’t something new.” Sarah grinned, her fingers absentmindedly tapping along her boyfriend’s leg that was swung onto her lap. “Now I don’t wanna hear a peep from you until you speak to him. ‘Kay, love you, bye!” She quickly hung up before Kie even had a chance to argue.

Sarah glanced over at John B, his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he spoke to JJ. God, this couple were helpless. She had been rooting for this ship for years, practically since Kie’s kook year when the girl had revealed during a game of ‘truth or dare’ that she harboured a crush for her blond friend. This had dragged on for too many years and today was the day the waiting for her ship would end. She would make sure of it.

Without a second thought, she grabbed the phone from her boyfriend’s hands, ignoring his confused look and pressed it to her ear. “Listen here—”

_“Sarah?!”_

“I am tired of all this beating around the bush bullshit. You love Kie, she loves you. You will get absolutely nowhere by making assumptions for each other and hiding in different rooms. GO. TALK. TO. HER.” She stated bluntly, not even giving him a chance to interrupt. “Now go talk to Kie and don’t bother calling back until you’ve done so.”

_“But…I…Sarah, I can’t just—”_

“Remember to use protection and go easy on her, she just had surgery. Bye!” And with that she hung up, leaning back in her seat with an exasperated sigh. “Those two will be the death of me.” She groaned.

“Amen to that.” Pope piped up from his spot on the armchair, he felt exhausted just listening to everything that went down, from both phone conversations.

“You think a confession and an empty house would be enough to have them banging it out by now.” John B commented with a dry chuckle. He didn’t know if he was impressed by JJ’s self-control and hormones, or disappointed that absolutely nothing happened last night. Not even JJ saying those three words back.

“Someone has to tell them to stop re-enacting the three blind mice and just see all the signs! I mean, c’mon, I’m honestly surprised it’s taken them this long to finally reveal their feelings to each other,” Wheezie commented with a shrug of her shoulders. “And all it took was Kie being high on pain meds, how romantic.” She added with a snicker, the others joining in after.

“My money is on Kie to initiate the conversation.”

“Nah, it’s definitely gonna be my boy JJ.”

“Bet ten bucks?”

“You’re _so_ on.”

JJ frowned, staring at a random spot on the floor as he listened to the shower eventually stop. His heart began to beat a bit faster, his hands starting to feel a little clammy. He thought about what John B and Sarah said, tried to regain some of his confidence. But this wasn’t just some random chick at a kegger, this was Kie. His Kie. He didn’t want to fuck this up. He couldn’t afford to fuck this up.

His head snapped up when he heard the bathroom door unlock, Kie soon following as she slowly walked out, her steps were hesitant, almost as though she was as nervous as he was. Maybe even more. She gave him a timid smile, followed by an awkward wave. “Hey.”

“Hey back at you.”

Goddammit JJ, that’s the best you got?

“How are you feeling?” He asked, gesturing to the general jaw area. It bothered him how awkward and tense it felt between them, this was exactly what he wanted to avoid. A part of him just wanted to rip the plaster right off, the other side of him wanted to bolt out of there.

“Better, it doesn’t hurt too bad.” She said with a curt nod of her head.

“That’s good,” He answered, nodding along with her. “You look a lot less swollen and chipmunk-y today.” He added, glad to see her laugh along with his comment.

But then it fell silent once again. They couldn’t even look at each other, directing their gazes anywhere else. He hated this. She hated it equally as much. They were JJ and Kie. They had known each other since they were kids, they had been through so much together. The ups and downs of puberty, getting over the stigma with a kook/pogue friendship, the whole gold fiasco and so much more. They always had each other’s backs, could always rely on each other. They had never been like this, it was just so…not JJ and Kie.

“Look I just—”

“About last night—”

They both looked at each other, nervous laughs exchanged at what felt like a very cliché moment. JJ looked over at Kie. There she stood, having just woken up around forty minutes ago and done nothing yet to get ready for the day, but she looked absolutely beautiful to him. He was a little bitter that he couldn’t have woken up to the sight of her. That he had to wake up to a pillow and lacking a cuddle buddy.

But he also noticed how anxious she seemed, how she played with the hem of the sweater and how she nibbled on her lip—god, he wish she would stop that, it was far too distracting. But JJ didn’t like being the cause of her discomfort. Then he saw her open her mouth, and he knew it was now or never.

“Kie, wait,” He quickly spoke up before she got the chance. She looked at him, one eyebrow raised slightly higher than the other, questioning him, asking him to continue. “You said what you said last night, now it’s my turn. I…I need to get this off my chest.” The only sign he got to continue was the slight nod of her head.

JJ sighed, looking at Kie as he tried to find the right words, tried to collect his thoughts. But the truth of the matter was that he would never find the perfect words, and he just had to hope that whatever word-mess came out of his mouth, doesn’t scare Kie away. He just had to hope that his mess was her perfection.

“You drive me crazy, Kie.” He finally breathed out, finally letting her gaze meet his. He felt his heart stop slightly, just having those doe eyes look at him after last night’s confession. It felt like an honour he wasn’t deserving of. “Ever since I met you, you have drove me absolutely crazy, you know that? Ten year old JJ’s life thrown completely off-track when this pretty, rich hippie chick started hanging around him.” He let out a small scoff, his throat feeling tight. But he pushed himself to continue.

“At first, I told myself that I was just jealous. You were the shiny new toy in the group, John B and Pope couldn’t get enough of you. I convinced myself I just didn’t like the idea of change. But,” He paused, his lips pressed together. He let out a breath. “I think I knew all along that you were different. Even as we got older and things started to change and thoughts began to wander, I knew you were different.”

“I had girls falling at my feet, girls that would throw themselves at me and say ‘yes’ to anything I said in a blink of an eye but…they never filled that hole. They were distractions until I realised the actual issue…until I realised that none of them would ever be you, they would never be the one that cared enough to push me to do my homework because I had to at least graduate high school before I throw my life away,” He said, a sad smile on his face. He could feel the tears forming, feel his vision blurring slightly. But he continued. “They weren’t the one patching me up after a particularly bad night with my dad, they weren’t the one standing up to Rafe and his little bastards followers. They weren’t the one who would stay up with me after I had a nightmare, they weren’t the one who kept me sane when I thought I lost John B. They weren’t there when my mum left and they weren’t there when I just…always needed someone.”

He began to walk towards Kie, the closer he got he could see her own tears slipping down her cheeks, and that was enough for his to do the same. “I grew up thinking that I couldn’t be loved, that I didn’t deserve it.” He whispered to her. “From my mum leaving to my dad screaming every other night about how I was _nothing_ , I mean…could you blame me?” He chuckled dryly, watching as Kie shook her head. “I was broken…I still am, Kie. And you…god, you deserve way more than a boy who can’t even stand up to his own father, who can’t keep himself out of trouble, who will probably end up like his old man. Fuck, Kiara, you deserve everything good in this world and…I am far from that.”

“JJ—” But he cut her off with a small shake of his head. He wasn’t done yet.

“But I’m selfish, Kiara Carrera.” He whispered, his voice cracking slightly. “I’m selfish because despite knowing all of this, every part of me still wants you. I want every single part of you, I want you to be mine and I want to be yours. Because I love you, Kiara Carrera. I love you more than I could ever love anything else in this twisted fucking world. And in no way, shape or form do I deserve you but I fucking want you. I need you, Kie. I need you more than you even realise. Because the truth is that I am only nothing when I don’t have you.”

There it was, his heart on his sleeve and now in her hands, ready for her to completely shatter. JJ couldn’t hide his feelings any longer, even if Kie didn’t mean what she said last night. He had to say all that, get it off his chest. He had to tell Kie just how much she means to him, even if this was the last time she ever wanted to see his face. A part of him wanted to just close his eyes, so he wouldn’t have to look at her pretty face while she rejected him. But he forced his eyes open, trying to blink away the tears that just never seemed to stop.

He watched as Kie took a step closer, and then another and another. He watched as she kept walking until she was only inches in front of him. He took in a deep breath, trying to prepare himself, trying to convince himself that if Kie rejected him that it wouldn’t completely wreck him. He then felt her hand intertwine with his, he felt the cool feeling of his ring she was wearing pressed against his skin. He wanted to look down at their hands, to make sure he wasn’t just imagining it. But he kept his gaze on her face.

“You are one of the strongest people I know,” She whispered to him, squeezing his hand a little. He squeezed back. “You go around, letting people say what they want, letting those fucking kooks walk over you for the sake of just having money so you can eat, having to suffer at the hand of people who should be protecting you…” She paused, taking a few breaths so she wouldn’t start sobbing in the middle of her wee speech. “You deserve way more than you think, JJ. You are so perfect and it kills me that you can’t see that.”

She raised her other hand, letting it find its place on his cheek, letting him nuzzle into her touch. “I meant everything I said last night, JJ,” She whispered to him, a soft smile on her lips. “I love you, JJ, and I need you. I need you to let me in, to let me love you, to let me help you see just how damn perfect you are. I love you and I don’t think I will ever be able to stop.” Her eyes involuntarily closing as he placed his forehead against hers.

“I want there to be us.” He whispered to her.

“I think there always was.” She replied.

That was enough for JJ to pull away from her embrace, for a few seconds alone, before he wrapped his arms around her. He lifted her slightly off the ground, his face nuzzled into the junction of her neck as he placed small kisses along her skin, smiling when he heard those giggles that he adored.

“You know you’re stuck with me now, Carrera.” He muttered against her skin, only pulling his head back when she tugged lightly on his hair, meeting her grin with his own.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” She murmured, she felt light and free and…funnily enough, high. And it was much better when she could control what she says. JJ grin only widened as he leaned closer, his lips puckered slightly but Kie was quick to pull away. “Nuh uh, my gums are bleeding, my cheeks are bruised and I’m pretty sure I’m drooling. That is the epitome of unromantic.”

“Well, I just spilt my heart out to you, snot and tears included, so we have already broken the whole romantic rule.” He muttered as he tried to lean in again but sighed dramatically as she moved away. “Fine, but when you’re all healed up, you got some time to make up for.” He added with a mischievous glint in his eyes. One that usually made her nervous for whatever he was planning, but now she was just excited.

“Oh yeah?” She hummed, her arms wrapping around his neck with her fingers happily finding themselves tangled between his blond locks. “I like the sound of that.”

“Hmm, I’m glad,” He murmured as he leaned back in, pressing a line of kisses from below her ear, along her jaw and down to her collarbone, though the sweater was making it a little difficult to get the access he desired. She only laughed when she heard him mutter something about how her being in his clothes was a blessing and a curse. “I can think of plenty other things we could do in the meantime.”

“Like what?” She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

“I’m pretty sure a certain doped up Kie mentioned skinny-dipping…”

“Maybe if you’re lucky, Maybank.”

“I’m already lucky, Carrera.”

And with that, JJ pulled Kie back down onto that couch, happy to show her _just_ how much he loved her.


End file.
